Horrors of Holocaust remembered by pupils

Mid and East Antrim Mayor, Councillor Billy Ashe, pictured at the Holocaust Memorial Day event in Larne Town Hall, with author Marilyn Taylor and Cllr Gerardine Mulvenna, Cllr Paul Reid and Cllr Declan OLoan. INLT 05-650-CON

Victims of the Holocaust have been remembered by East Antrim school pupils at a special commemoration event in the town hall.

To mark this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, post-primary schools in the borough were invited to accept copies of a book entitled ‘Faraway Home’ by Marilyn Taylor.

The novel follows the story of a 13-year-old boy, Karl, and his sister Rosa who are two of the thousands of unaccompanied children who made their way to safety in the UK.

The event, organised by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, saw representatives of the schools meet the author and receive copies of the book.

Mayor of MEA, Councillor Billy Ashe said: “Thanks to support from OFMDFM through Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Good Relations programme, we are able to use Holocaust Memorial Day as a time to remember those whose lives were destroyed or changed beyond recognition, through hatred.

“We remember not only the Holocaust but also the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.

“We are delighted to be marking Holocaust memorial Day by passing a legacy to the schools in the form of copies of this novel and welcome having the author present and hope that the schools represented will benefit from being able to hear from her directly and ask questions.”